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SOWO 3850 Exam 2- Rogers Ch. 4

Terms in this set (32)

Feminist Theory
the advocacy of social, economic, and political equality between mean and woman.
Branches of Feminist Theory
liberal feminism, socialist feminism, and radical feminism
Liberal Feminism
- first to support the ideas of equal rights and equal treatment for women
- believes that biological differences are not important
- achieve equal rights for women in all realms
- Macro level SOWO: SWs can support this by pursuing equality by advocating for policies and laws designed to change the structure of society
- Micro level SOWO- educate and empower clients to fight for their rights
Socialist Feminism
- views economic equality as paramount to true equality and freedom for women
- they argue that liberation can only be achieved by working to end both the economic and cultural sources of women's oppression
- criticizes liberalism as being too focused on politics
- SWs who support socialist feminism focus on economic justice and equality
Radical Feminism
- believes that oppression and inequality are supported through male hierarchy and domination
- basic tenant is that men construct reality for all of society- includes the notion that men are superior, forceful, aggressive, and intellectual, whereas women are weak, emotional, and irrational.
- SWs might help clients to gain insight into traditional values and social systems, thereby empowering them to reframe their reality and change their situation.
Fundamental tenets of Feminist Theory
- change false dichotomies: various behaviors and characteristics create expectations

- Rethink established knowledge: what we know, how we know it, where did it come from

- Examine different patterns of socialization: gender roles and expectations which influence behavior and development

- Deconstruct patriarchal hierarchies: challenge power of and domination by men over women

- Increase opportunities for empowerment: empower women to instigate social change

- value process orientation: women are more process oriented (relational) and men tend to be product oriented (end result), product is usually valued more.

- personal is political: personal behaviors are influenced by political actions

- Respect diversity:maintain solidarity with others in an oppressed group while respecting differences.

- Promote awareness of interactions between the individual and social forces- once women become aware of the larger social forces that affect them and their personal and social lives, change can take place.
Micro, Mezzo, Macro Tenets of Feminist Theory
Micro level: rethink established knowledge, value process orientation

Mezzo Level: deconstruct patriarchal hierarchies, respect diversity

Macro level: challenge false dichotomies (mutually exclusive categories), examine different patterns of socialization, increase opportunities for empowerment, understand that the personal is political, promote awareness of interaction between the individual and social forces.
Strengths of Feminist Theory:
- focus on equality
- questions the dominant structure
- has drawn attention to ways in which we generate knowledge
- has validate approaches to research
- upholds the basic ethical tenets of SW profession
Weakness of Feminist Theory
- absence of minority groups
- may actually perpetuate oppression of women
- both have been rebutted- general tenets can be applied to the study of oppression for many groups
- feminist theory played a major role in raising awareness of multiple points of views on issues
Cultural Perspectives
- culture is the result of all human endeavors- including all things human such as norms, values, customs, symbols, thoughts, tradition, politics, religion, language, philosophies, and material objects
External components
can be observed or measured (behaviors, artifacts, and other tangible objects)
Internal components
not readily observable ( ideas, interpretations, meanings that people attach, perceptions)
Why is cultural perspectives important to social work?
- Helps define the essence of culture and the various ways in which culture affects people in their environment

- Understands how society perceives clients, however biased this view might be

- Can provide insight into how clients view themselves relative to their culture.

** to be affective practitioners, SW's must understand how a client's culture affects the client's behavior, perception, and life.
Ethnocentrism
= the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture

- helps explain how a dominant ideology can perpetuate cultural values that help or hinder clients
- can help SWs grasp how clients may view their culture as superior, which can create problems for the client in interfacing other cultures, particularly if their culture is not the dominant one.
Cultural Relativism
cultures should be treated equally
ethnic identity
how people form their identity in relation to their ethnicity
ethnicity
how people associate themselves with a group
ethos
moral, ethical, emotional aspect of the worldview
ideology
dominant ideas about what is correct and how things should be
social class
category of groups of people who share similar economic stratification
worldview
how people perceive their world that gives them a frame of reference, personal philosophy
Defining culture
Clients are more than their culture with which they identify- clients are both recipients and shapers of culture and that both of these roles impact client bahvior.

*culture provides structure to experiences<---> culture is created by experiences
NASW Code of Ethics statement abt cultural competency
- continually develop knowledge around diversity

- use culturally appropriate methods in work with clients

- be knowledgeable about culturally appropriate services for clients

- understand how policies and programs affect culturally diverse clients

- advocate for professional diversity

- work to eliminate service barriers for culturally diverse clients

- provide leadership in cultural competence for the profession
Dual Perspective
the ways in which people from minority groups experience different systems throughout development and how these experiences impact development

*Minority group members figuratively have their feet in the 2 worlds this may cause conflict in the future
Nurturing system
primary system, people and circumstances close to the individual
Sustaining System
world of the dominant culture, larger systems that impact the individual
Multiculturalism
(belief) the idea that all culture should be recognized, respected, and treated equally
cultural pluralism
(behavior) recognizing and accommodating a variety of cultures that have different values and norms
Bicultural Socialization
the idea that members of minority groups not only receive extensive enculturation and socialization from their culture group, but they also receive socialization from the majority group

*this helps to explain developmental tasks
Culture or Poverty
- Western society tends to view poverty of a culture
- Perceived to be a worldview contributing to poor people staying in poverty
Strengths of Cultural Perspectives
- offers tools for conceptualization
- enhances understanding of client and client situations
- reduces the risk of working with clients from an ethnocentric perspective (evaluating other peoples and cultures according to the standards of one's own culture)
Weaknesses of Cultural Perspectives
-absence of a single, coherent theory
- does not necessarily inform interventions
- difficult to define, apply, and measure
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